{{short description|Avenue in Lima, Peru}} {{Infobox street | name = 9 December Avenue | image = PaseoColon 2017-10-22 001.jpg | alternate_name = Paseo Colón | namesake = [[Battle of Ayacucho]]<br>[[Christopher Columbus]] {{small|(unofficial)}} | junction = [[Inca Garcilaso de la Vega Avenue]], Jirón Washington, [[Paseo de la República Avenue]] | terminus_a = [[Plaza Bolognesi|Bolognesi Square]] | terminus_b = [[Plaza Grau|Grau Square]] }} '''9 December Avenue''' ({{langx|es|Avenida 9 de Diciembre}}), also known as '''Paseo Colón''', is an avenue in the [[Historic Centre of Lima]], [[Peru]]. The street is named after the [[Statue of Christopher Columbus (Lima)|statue of Christopher Columbus]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://visitalima.pe/aventura/paseo-colon/ |title=Paseo Colón |website=[[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Peru)|Visita Lima]]}}</ref> one of thirteen statues located along its four blocks.<ref name=EP2021>{{Cite news |title=Camino de esculturas |last=Carlín Gereda |first=Ernesto |date=2021-08-09 |url=https://elperuano.pe/noticia/126364-camino-de-esculturas |work=[[El Peruano]]}}</ref>
As of 2025, the avenue has been partially closed due to the ongoing underground construction works for Line 2 of the [[Lima and Callao Metro]], which started in July 2024.<ref name=EC202407/>
==History== The place where the Paseo Colón extends today constituted, during the [[Viceroyalty of Peru|viceregal era]], the southern limit of the city where the [[Walls of Lima]] stood.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Lima y el Callao: Guía de Arquitectura y Paisaje |last=Bonilla Di Tolla |first=Enrique |publisher=[[Junta de Andalucía]] |year=2009 |pages=33 |language=es |url=https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/export/drupaljda/publicacion/21/05/60acb153b9883-guia_lima_y_callao.pdf}}</ref> In 1898, during the government of President [[Nicolás de Piérola]], the avenue was drawn up with the name of ''9 de Diciembre''.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Especial Aniversario de Lima |url=http://www.rpp.com.pe/especiales/feliz_aniversario_lima/29086_1.php |date=2008-01-19 |work=[[Radio Programas del Perú|RPP Noticias]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080119130933/http://www.rpp.com.pe/especiales/feliz_aniversario_lima/29086_1.php |archive-date=2008-01-19|lang=es}}</ref> It was later renamed ''Paseo Colón'' due to its pedestrian nature.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=El guión de la cirugía urbana: Lima 1850-1940 |journal=[[UNMSM|Ensayos en Ciencias Sociales]] |url=http://sociales.unmsm.edu.pe/ENSAYOS/joffre.pdf |last=Ramón Joffré |first=Gabriel |issue=9 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070730020419/http://sociales.unmsm.edu.pe/ENSAYOS/joffre.pdf |archive-date=2007-07-30}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |title=Paseo Colón |last=Lohmann Villena |first=Guillermo |publisher=Editorial MAPFRE |year=1992 |isbn=84-7100-407-0 |location=Madrid |pages=233–235 |language=es |oclc=28157476}}</ref> From the moment it was laid out, Paseo Colón was considered an aristocratic avenue since it was located in the middle of the ''[[Parque de la Exposición]]''. As proof of this, the buildings on the road still show their republican-style decorations.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Retrofoto: El Paseo Colón |url=http://www.limalaunica.pe/2010/10/retrofoto-el-paseo-colon.html |last=Pino |first=David |date=2010-10-29 |work=Lima La Única}}</ref> However, this road suffered a great deterioration during the eighties, currently it has undergone an efficient recovery.
The restoration of the city's statues, including those of the avenue, began in October 2020 following the approval of the citywide restoration plan proposed by [[PROLIMA]], an agency of the [[Metropolitan Municipality of Lima]].<ref name=Andina2020>{{Cite news |title=Municipalidad de Lima inicia restauración del monumento a Cristóbal Colón |date=2020-10-10 |url=https://andina.pe/agencia/noticia-municipalidad-lima-inicia-restauracion-del-monumento-a-cristobal-colon-817232.aspx |work=[[Andina (news agency)|Andina]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Una oportunidad para recuperar el paisaje urbano histórico del Paseo Colón y su entorno: Los desafíos de la línea 2 del metro |url=https://cosas.pe/de-fondo/197876/una-oportunidad-para-recuperar-el-paisaje-urbano-historico-del-paseo-colon-y-su-entorno-los-desafios-de-la-linea-2-del-metro/ |last=Bogdanovich |first=Luis Martín |date=2021-02-05 |website=Cosas}}</ref> These works concluded in August of the following year.<ref name=EP2021/>
Works related to the construction of Line 2 of the [[Lima and Callao Metro]] and its Central Station have been planned since 2016,<ref>{{Cite news |title=Gran Estación Central de Lima unirá Metropolitano y Metro de Lima |date=2019-08-22 |url=https://peru21.pe/lima/gran-estacion-central-lima-unira-metropolitano-metro-lima-203878-noticia/ |work=[[Perú 21]]}}</ref> with works starting in the following years.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Restringirán tránsito en la avenida Paseo Colón por obras de la Línea 2 del Metro de Lima |date=2019-05-21 |url=https://trome.com/actualidad/cercado-lima-linea-2-metro-restringiran-transito-av-paseo-colon-obras-nndc-rt-123752/ |work=[[Trome]]}}</ref> In 2024, the closure of the avenue and the removal of its statues was announced in order to carry out the construction of the station itself.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Línea 2 del Metro de Lima: desvíos por obras de construcción de la estación Central se inician en enero |last=Mc Cubbin |first=Ricardo |date=2023-12-24 |url=https://www.infobae.com/peru/2023/12/24/linea-2-del-metro-de-lima-desvios-por-obras-de-construccion-de-la-estacion-central-se-inician-en-enero/ |work=[[Infobae]]}}</ref> These works began in July 2024 with the closure of its first block.<ref name=EC202407>{{Cite news |title=Centro de Lima: inicia parcialmente el plan de desvío por obras de la Línea 2 del Metro |date=2024-07-08 |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/transporte/linea-2-del-metro-inicia-parcialmente-el-plan-de-desvio-por-obras-en-el-cercado-de-lima-fotos-mml-estacion-central-paseo-colon-ultimas-noticia/ |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref> One month later, the 19th-century remains of a fountain and water system were discovered.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Secretos de Lima |date=2024-08-22 |url=https://www.elperuano.pe/noticia/250931-secretos-de-lima |work=[[El Peruano]]}}</ref> As of July 2025, construction of the station was reported to be almost 70% complete.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Estación Central de la Línea 2: así es la obra subterránea que ya supera el 70% de avance |last=Cayetano Chávez |first=José |date=2025-07-16 |url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/estacion-central-de-la-linea-2-como-es-su-estructura-que-ya-cuenta-con-un-74-de-avance-linea-2-estacion-central-paseo-colon-metropolitano-noticia/ |work=[[El Comercio (Peru)|El Comercio]]}}</ref>
==Route== Its first block begins at [[Plaza Grau|Grau Square]]. To the north is Neptune Park, also named after [[Juana Alarco de Dammert]], where the [[Institute of Hygiene, Lima|Centre for Military Historical Studies]] is located.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://medium.com/@culturaparalima/el-instituto-de-higiene-1903-71d334ca48cf |title=El Instituto de Higiene (1903) |date=2018-06-04 |website=[[Medium.com]] |publisher=[[Ministry of Culture (Peru)|Cultura Para Lima]]}}</ref> Its southern side features the main façade of the [[Palacio de la Exposición|Palace of the Exhibition]], which houses the [[Lima Art Museum]] since 1957 and is surrounded by two entrances to the [[Parque de la Exposición|Park of the Exhibition]]. The central pathway between both buildings features two of four allegorical statues (representing [[Summer]] and [[Winter]]) by Francisco Pietrosanti, originally located at the [[Plaza Mayor, Lima|Plaza Mayor]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Las esculturas de la Plaza de Armas de Lima |url=http://blog.pucp.edu.pe/blog/juanluisorrego/2009/04/15/las-esculturas-de-la-plaza-de-armas-de-lima/ |last=Orrego Penagos |first=Juan Luis |date=2009-04-15 |website=[[Blog PUCP]]}}</ref> Some large vases, which feature throughout the avenue, can also be seen.
The second block features two buildings by [[Claude Sahut]]: the Casa Molina (1912) and the Casa Menchaca (1920). Another building, the Casa Wiese, also dates back to 1920, but with a design by [[Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski]]. A building on the opposite side serves as a local branch of [[Popular Action (Peru)|Acción Popular]], a political party. The [[Statue of Christopher Columbus (Lima)|statue of Christopher Columbus]], after which the avenue is unofficially named, is located in the central part of this block.
The third block features the latter two allegorical statues, dedicated to [[Spring (season)|Spring]] and [[Autumn]], as well as monumental buildings, such as the Casa Sal y Rosas and the Quinta Alania. The fourth and final block ends at [[Plaza Bolognesi|Bolognesi Square]].
==Transport== The street is set to be serviced by the Central Station of the [[Lima and Callao Metro]], whose construction works, along with the work for Line 2, started in July 2024.<ref name=EC202407/>
==See also== {{Commonscat|Paseo Colón, Lima}} *[[Historic Centre of Lima]]
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Lima streets}} {{Landmarks in Lima}}
[[Category:Avenues in Lima|Colón]] [[Category:Lima District]]